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Why Eclipses Frightened Ancient Civilizations And How They Responded To Them

Total solar eclipses have inspired wonder and awe throughout history, with the first known reference to an eclipse dating back about 5,000 years. But when the moon passes between Earth and the sun and darkens skies across the United States on Aug. 21, there will be one major difference between modern-day skywatchers and ancient cultures that witnessed the same celestial phenomenon: We'll have much less fear.

Comment: According to some contemporary astrologists this particular eclipse will have some rather interesting ramifications however:

Massive change in the US - What astrologers see in eclipses that most don't

For many ancient peoples, solar eclipses were a reason to be afraid - very afraid.

"We have ample historic and ethnographic information from a variety of cultures that give us a pretty good idea of how people responded to these things worldwide," said astronomer E.C. Krupp, director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. [Christopher Columbus to Thailand's Kings: 11 Curious Stories About Eclipses]

Ancient peoples depended heavily on the seasonal changes reflected in the annual movements of the sun, Krupp told Live Science. They would have seen a solar eclipse as a major disturbance of the cosmic order, at the very least, and quite possibly as the end of the world, he said.

The Air Force pilot carefully throttled the controls of a missile-firing MQ-1 Predator drone flying half a world away in northern Syria. Suddenly his headset crackled to life.

Militants firing from bombed-out buildings had ambushed a U.S.-backed militia on a rubble-strewn street in Raqqah, Islamic State's self-declared capital and one of its last urban strongholds. The militia was pinned down, and their commander wanted the drone to take out the gunmen.

The pilot studied the surveillance video streaming onto his screen. A captain, he instructed the staff sergeant at his side to set the drone's target sights and powered up a Hellfire missile under its wing.

Was Corbyn right to fire Sarah Champion for controversial statements about 'rapist' Pakistani men?

Sarah Champion was reportedly forced out of the Labour shadow cabinet after writing a controversial piece for the Sun claiming authorities must examine possible cultural reasons why British Pakistani men are "raping and exploiting white girls."

The MP for Rotherham apologized for "the extremely poor choice of words" and quit as shadow equalities minister on Wednesday.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn showed no opposition to Champion's resignation, saying his party would not "blame or demonize any particular group."

US Attorney General fails to assuage anger over Trump's Charlottesville response

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions has condemned racism and bigotry amid criticism of President Donald Trump's reaction to the violence in Charlottesville. Sessions made the comments during a speech against sanctuary cities.

"In no way can we accept or apologize for racism, bigotry, hatred or violence," Sessions said Wednesday, referring to the violence in Charlottesville this weekend where white nationalists were confronted by counter-protesters, one of whom was killed.

Sessions was speaking in Miami where he blasted the so-called sanctuary cities while praising the Miami-Dade jurisdiction for cooperating with federal authorities.

The Connection between Sugar and Depression - And Some Natural Solutions To Help Lift Your Mood

Foods have an immense impact on your brain, and eating whole foods as described in my nutrition plan is the best way to support both your physical and mental health. Based on the evidence, avoiding sugar (particularly fructose) is an important prevention and treatment strategy for anxiety and depression, both of which are rising in prevalence.

A number of studies have linked high-sugar diets to a higher risk of depression. Most recently, men consuming more than 67 grams of sugar per day were found to be 23 percent more likely to develop anxiety or depression over the course of five years compared to those whose sugar consumption was less than 40 grams per day.1,2,3

This held true even after accounting for other contributing factors, such as socioeconomic status, exercise, alcohol use, smoking, other eating habits, body weight and general physical health. As noted by lead author Anika Knüppel,4 a Ph.D. student at the Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London: 5

"Sweet food has been found to induce positive feelings in the short-term. People experiencing low mood may eat sugary foods in the hope of alleviating negative feelings. Our study suggests a high intake of sugary foods is more likely to have the opposite effect on mental health in the long-term."

Comment: Another perspective on smoking and mood. See: A comprehensive review of the many health benefits of smoking Tobacco

Google, who recently fired engineer James Damore over his dissent against the politically correct monoculture at their company has just moved to deplatform Gab Inc. by banning their android app from Google Play for "hate speech."